Word: nih
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...guidelines allow the NIH to fund the creation and study of new stem-cell lines, as long as they originate from embryos that were discarded during the IVF process and donated, with proper informed consent, to research. Government funds still may not be used, however, to create an embryo specifically to destroy it for research purposes, or to create or study stem cells derived from embryos generated by other methods, including cloning and parthenogenesis, in which the egg is directly activated to start dividing and generate an embryo...
...establishing standard criteria for obtaining informed consent from potential donors, the NIH said its main goal was to separate the donation process from the IVF process in order to ensure that donors understand that their IVF experience will not be affected in any way by their decision to discard or donate unused embryos. Donors must be specifically advised that their embryos may be used for stem-cell studies, and may result in commercial products for which they should not expect any financial or medical benefit...
...informed-consent guidelines reflect concerns expressed by researchers, IVF consumers and ethicists that while nobody can predict how donated embryos may end up being used in research, couples undergoing IVF should be made fully aware of the widest range of possibilities. Overall, the NIH rules took into account 49,000 comments submitted to the agency by scientists, patient advocates, medical and religious organizations, private citizens and members of Congress during a public comment period...
...NIH is asking scientists working with these lines to submit as much documentation as possible to demonstrate that the embryos were donated voluntarily, without coercion and without any monetary benefit to the donors. This material will be reviewed by a select group of scientists, ethicists and community members that will be convened over the next few months as part of a working group of the advisory committee to the director of the NIH...
Kington said that the NIH would continue to review its guidelines for funding eligibility - in particular, regarding cell lines derived from embryos created outside the IVF process. "We know there is strong sentiment in this country for supporting federal funding of research involving cell lines from embryos created for reproductive purposes that otherwise would be destroyed," said Kington. "We don't believe there has been public discussion yet of the ethical guidelines regarding alternative sources of embryonic stem cells. We will reconsider the guidelines as science evolves, and as the public discussion over the ethical principles evolves...